1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrical connectors and, more particularly, to an electrical connector having an electrical contact with a formed solder cup.
2. Brief Description Of Earlier Developments
U.S. Pat. No. 4,717,354 discloses an electrical connector having an electrical contact with a solder cup. The solder cup has a longitudinal axis which is parallel or coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the contact. There is a desire to reduce the length of contacts in some types of connectors, but still provide a solder cup connection for wires to be connected to the contacts. There is also a desire to provide right angle termination of wires to some connectors and a desire to provide a connector system to keep wire exit from a connector in a low profile off of the back of the connector. However, a further desire is to manufacture contacts from one-piece members to keep manufacturing cost low.
An electrical contact having a formed one-piece member. The formed one-piece member comprises a first connection section adapted to make a removable connection with a mating contact; and a second connection section having a receiving area adapted to have a conductor positioned in the receiving area and fixed to the second connection section by a solder material positioned into the receiving area. The receiving area of the second section comprises a center longitudinal axis which is angled relative to a longitudinal connection axis of the first section.
An electrical contact having a formed one piece member. The formed one-piece member comprises a first connection section adapted to make a removable connection with a mating contact; and a second connection section forming a solder cup for receiving a conductor and solder to fixedly connect the conductor to the contact. The one-piece member comprises two plate sections folded generally parallel to each other. The end sections of each plate section are folded in an inward direction, each at a different length along the plate sections, to form the solder cup between the end sections.
A method of manufacturing an electrical contact comprising steps of providing a substantially flat one-piece member having two plate sections; deforming the one-piece member to locate the two plate sections substantially parallel to each other; and forming ends of the two plate sections in respective generally opposite inward directions, at different respective lengths along the plate sections, to form a solder receiving area between the ends.